Wabash - What Is It?

[Giles]

Kiya has just sent me this update…

"wabash" comes from the Indian Wabash tribe of the American mid-west.  They modified workwear staples which were made of denim and then traded them to the white men which worked in manual labor positions as "decorated workwear".

[Seul]

Interesting stuff G!.. Brilliant fabric 

[Sugar Mountain]

I really enjoyed reading this info in the latest newsletter. Dropping some heavy knowledge and Kiya's contribution is the icing on the cake. Cheers.

[Giles]

Thank you.  And, I welcome further additions, corrections or critique…

[Sugar Mountain]

How is the fabric on the old IH wabash dyed? I'm wearing my 55 today and would love to know.

[Chris]

Pretty sure it's a discharge print, just like the new version.

[Giles]

That was fabric dyed.  The woven fabric was dyed in an indigo bath.  It was then discharge printed.  The "problem" we had, was that indigo bled very very easily, too easily in fact, so Haraki garment dyed the discharge printed fabric with a pale brown fixing dye.

[Sugar Mountain]

But there will still be fading in areas of wear, correct?

(just not as much as the new wabash is my understanding)

[Giles]

Yes, I am getting a shit load of fade out of my chopped IH-811's….

[FurattoHeddo]

Old wabash is perfect for those who seek a quick evo fix …

[urbanwoodsman]

http://www.e-workers.net/column/6/1.htm

[Megatron1505]

Great images Urb.

[Giles]

Thanks Urbs

[MikeC]

Check out e-workers.net. He's the dude that went to Virginia and found the old wabash directions in the basement of a mill. He then had a Japanese mill reproduce the exact fabric. I'd love to see the directions and if they call the twill weave a 2x1 denim or something different.

[SpaceGnome]

@MikeC:

Check out e-workers.net. He's the dude that went to Virginia and found the old wabash directions in the basement of a mill. He then had a Japanese mill reproduce the exact fabric. I'd love to see the directions and if they call the twill weave a 2x1 denim or something different.

thats a trip.  finding a "recipe' like that and having it reproduced is f'ing cool

[urbanwoodsman]

Yeah, I don't think there are any repro brands that are better than Workers right now. I bet their wabash is something special. I'd assume lighter weight than IH wabash though. Or who knows, might be made in the same place.